Jeffrey Cole

This is the main theme of my work. Disruption always comes from unexpected places, frequently from two guys in a garage who change the world (Google, Apple, HP and more). The disruption of the retail business should have come from WalMart or Target, not an upstart book seller (in a garage) in Seattle. The disruption of the taxi industry should have come from Yellow Cab, not a Silicon Valley tech company and the disruption of the automobile business should have come from Toyota or GM, not am immigrant from South Africa who knew nothing about cars.

When faced with disruption, few industries know how to react. Some deny the threat is real, others try to have their competition made illegal (music or the funeral business). Most double down and refuse to make the necessary changes that will help them survive.

Kodak and Xerox should today be as powerful and wealthy as amazon, Google or Apple. They didn't recognize the threats to their business and today are irrelevant.

My talk shows businesses or citizens (depending on the audience) how to recognize when disruption has arrived. and how they can survive being torn apart from disruptive change. Issues of understanding competition and, most especially, providing leadership are central.

This talk looks at Ai as the largest (and perhaps most important) development in disruption by placing it in the context of previous change.